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August 13, 2006

I, for one, welcome our new aesthetic overlords…

Creepiness Level = Orange (Elevated): Some Israeli researchers have proposed a tool that, after analyzing a library of beautiful faces, can adjust anyone’s features to make them more beautiful. Umm… no, please?
Yes, my livelihood comes from making a tool that’s used to propagate standardized ideals of beauty, but somehow having the computer make the call on am-I-hot-or-not, then “fix” my various deficiencies, starts getting uncomfortably weird–a little too Fitter Happier. I’m reminded of a quote from Francis Bacon: “There is no excellent beauty, that hath not some strangeness in the proportion.” Here’s hoping it stays that way. [Via Russell Williams]

Comments

I don’t think it’s as creepy as all that. People often look worse in photographs than they would if you stood next to them. It might even give some handy pointers (smile more, don’t squint). And it certainly explains how celebrities seem to get better looking after they get popular (now scalpels are genuinely creepy, but I think it’s more often a case of learning the best way to wear their hair, which angle to present to the camera, etc.).
I’d love a chance to play with this app. Hopefully it will be a plugin soon.